# Why does my foundation look like this?!



## rosenholz (Feb 20, 2011)

As you can see, my foundation always looks scaly - from the second I apply it to the moment I take it off. In these particular pictures, I'm wearing Maybelline Pure Liquid Mineral, but the exact same thing happens with EVERY foundation (I've tried everything from L'Oreal to Clinique), so it must be the way I apply it! Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? I've tried using a sponge, I've tried a foundation brush, I've tried diluting my liquid foundations out half-and-half with moisturiser to make them lighter, but they still cake like this. It's not just my cheeks; it happens all over my face.

I always have spots and my skin's very shiny under my eyes, so I use oil-free moisturisers and a cleanser designed for oily skin. The red stripe visible under my eye is very rough skin, but no amount of moisturiser or exfoliating improves it, so I've given up! (I have a similar patch on the other side.)

The pictures are quite big, so I've put thumbnails here and a link to the full picture underneath.





http://img828.imageshack.us/i/zdscf2466.jpg/





http://img101.imageshack.us/i/zdscf2467.jpg/

Thank you very much






P.S. Sorry about the huge nose, hoggin' the camera.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


----------



## Maris Crane (Feb 20, 2011)

Are you exfoliating? Using a primer? Maybe switching to a hydrating or balmier primer, as opposed to an oil-control one might help, if it's rough, scaly, dry patches.


----------



## toki1004 (Feb 20, 2011)

this happens to me too even though I exfoliate and put a ton of moisturizer on :/


----------



## llehsal (Feb 20, 2011)

Have you tried a stippling brush?  Those seem to sheer out your foundation more and may prevent it from caking up this way.  What about Revlon Colourstay Liquid Foundation?  It has medium or so coverage and looks very close to a second skin.


----------



## magosienne (Feb 21, 2011)

Yes, i second the stippling brush, i also think you could try a creamier moisturizer just on these patches. A primer is also another solution.


----------



## LisaF1163 (Feb 21, 2011)

I would say exfoliate, be sure to use a good primer, and I agree with Ilehsal - maybe you should try Revlon's Colorstay.  That stuff stays on really well!


----------



## rrcc (Feb 21, 2011)

Try to apply your foundation using a wet sponge. I use Sephora's beauty blender which is like a pink sponge and it applies very good.


----------



## llehsal (Feb 21, 2011)

Wet sponges work well with sheering out makeup as well, however with liquid foundation I've found that they soak up all the product and you get very little.  I use that more for creme or stick foundations.  But I have heard alot of good things about the beauty blender.


----------



## Ray of sunshine (Feb 22, 2011)

What moisturizer do you use?


----------



## DonnaJ (Feb 22, 2011)

Since you are already using moisturizer and exfoliating, I would go see a dermatologist. It might be dermatitis or eczema and you don't need makeup making it worse.


----------



## rosenholz (Mar 1, 2011)

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply - for some reason Firefox has crashed every time I tried to load this site for the last week! Seems to be okay now though.

I do exfoliate once a week. I've used Lush's Ocean Salt for years, but no matter how gentle I am with it these days it leaves my face red and sunburnt-looking the next day so I think it might be time to switch.



> Originally Posted by *Ray of sunshine* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> What moisturizer do you use?


 I used to use Clean&amp;Clear Oil-Free Moisturiser. Yesterday I started using Clinique Dramatically Different Lotion though, but it's too early to tell if that's helping. (I used to use it, years ago, but stopped because I thought it was making my skin too oily and therefore my spots worse. Went into Clinique yesterday to buy some primer and got persuaded to try the moisturiser again. I'm such a soft sell.)



> Originally Posted by *DonnaJ* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Since you are already using moisturizer and exfoliating, I would go see a dermatologist. It might be dermatitis or eczema and you don't need makeup making it worse.



Seeing a dermatologist is sadly not an option, I can't take time off work for non-essential doc's appointments. My mother,a lifelong eczema sufferer, reckons it's not eczema though - it doesn't feel rough enough. The red bits are definitely rougher than the rest of my face, but not bad enough to be eczema.

I will try the wet-sponge and stippling brush suggestions - thank you all!


----------



## beautyfulblog (Mar 1, 2011)

I think you should try a matte silicon based primer. I think that will even out your skin before putting on the foundation.


----------



## reesesilverstar (Mar 2, 2011)

I agree that it looks and sounds like eczema. When I'm mean to my skin I break out like this. You prolly would need a prescription to clear it up, so see your derm. Cetaphil is an excellent moisturizer for sensitive skin. And to exfoliate use an alpha hydroxy acid rathr than a scrub.


----------



## DonnaJ (Mar 7, 2011)

> Originally Posted by *rosenholz* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Seeing a dermatologist is sadly not an option, I can't take time off work for non-essential doc's appointments. My mother,a lifelong eczema sufferer, reckons it's not eczema though - it doesn't feel rough enough. The red bits are definitely rougher than the rest of my face, but not bad enough to be eczema.


It could still be eczema, what your mother probably doesn't know is that eczema has different levels of severity and may look very different from one person to the next. I'm thinking you may have inherited eczema from her but maybe enough immunity from your father so that yours is less severe. You might want to buy some over the counter cortizone cream, this is what is usually prescribed (in higher dosages) for eczema and try that on some of these spots for a week and see if it starts to clear up. Be careful to only use it on the patchy areas and discontinue use as soon as it has cleared (or after a week if you see no difference) since cortizone is a steroid and not recommended for treatments over long periods.


----------



## Ray of sunshine (Mar 7, 2011)

My dermatologist recommends that you only use neutrogena moisturizers when having skin problems. It can't hurt to try.


----------



## SarahNull (Mar 8, 2011)

You could be suffering from a minor allergic reaction. I would switch to a makeup that is hypoallergenic or doesn't possess parabens, sulfates, etc. Some makeup lines that emphasize on this are - Clinique, Tarte, Josie Maran, Korres, The Body Shop, Almay, Bare Escentuals (if you are into mineral makeup), and 100% Pure.


----------



## rosenholz (Mar 9, 2011)

Since I started this thread, I've been using Clinique skincare products and I haven't worn any makeup except mascara. My skin is still very rough, and the flakiness has now spread to my nose as well. I'm not convinced it's because of the Clinique products though, because otherwise I'm sure I would have noticed it last week.

Asked a pharmacist about it today, who said it may be a form of dermatitis caused by a non-contagious fungal infection. If that's the case, I'll need a prescription cream to clear it up. Going to have to beg a day off work and go to the doctor's, I think. What a pain!

In the meantime, I guess I'm going to have to stay make-up free for the foreseeable future. I hate having to go out without foundation.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />


----------



## kikikinzz (Mar 9, 2011)

I'm sooooo sorry that it's not a simple "fix" and that you have to go makeup free for awhile.  The good news is, if it is what the pharmacist says, you'll be back wearing foundation in no time at all!


----------



## StereoXGirl (Mar 10, 2011)

I know it may be a pain, but it really will be a good thing for you to see your doctor.  Then you'll have a better idea of what it truly is that you're dealing with and how to best proceed.

For now, I would definitely stick with gentle/soothing products.  Cetaphil or Aveeno products will be a good option for you.  Personally, I've heard great things about Cetaphil, but it didn't work for me (it seems to work for most people, though).  Aveeno is great because a lot of their products have colloidal oatmeal in them, which is soothing and helps keep moisture in (it's also good for eczema and allergic reactions on the skin).

Hope that helps some!


----------



## Annelle (Mar 10, 2011)

i agree with stereoxgirl, if it's been a persisting problem, the best thing is to see a dermatologist or your doctor.  At least they'll be able to tell you whether it's just a dry patch or something more, and they might be able to refer you to some stronger products that can get better results too.


----------



## Dalylah (Mar 10, 2011)

My skin freaks out when I use almost anything on a repeated basis... makeup, cleansers, etc. The one thing I have found that calms and still cleans mine is Cetaphil. It takes about a week for it to calm down but using their gentle liquid cleanser and light lotion I have had good luck. Even the expensive cleansers made my face freak out.


----------



## cyanne2ak (Feb 21, 2013)

Actually, this is a frequent problem in all foundations now because of changes in the manufacturing and the consumer preference for mineral makeup. I suggest putting a small bead of your conditioner (yes, that's right, that you use on your hair) in your palm and blending your foundation with that before you apply it. It is heavier than a moisturizer but won't break out your skin, and you already know you aren't allergic to it because you use it all the time on your scalp.


----------

